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Edel McMahon lines out at number 7 for Ireland against the USA this Friday. Photo: ©INPHO/Oisin Keniry

McMahon Targets Further Irish Women’s Rugby Progress After Brilliant Six Nations Start

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It is one thing to earn your first start for Ireland in the Six Nations. It is another thing to be awarded Player of the Match for such a sterling performance in that first start.

This is the Sunday Edel McMahon had last week as Ireland secured their first win in the Six Nations after a tough 2019, with an 18-14 victory over Scotland.

On Monday, she was back at home in London, recuperating and readying her body and mind for a tough Welsh challenge in Donnybrook this Sunday.

“I really wasn’t expecting to get Player of the Match, to be honest. I was really looking forward to the game as it was going to be my first start in a Six Nations game in the number seven jersey which has a big history in this team. Claire Molloy wore this jersey before me, and I always looked up to her. It was a big day for me to wear that jersey. I was buzzing after it,” McMahon effused.

Edel decided to wave goodbye to her native Kilmihil, and her Connacht contract, to pursue playing regular rugby at a high level for Wasps in London last September.

While it was a tough decision to make, last weekend may have assured her it was the right call.

“I played my last inter-pro with Connacht on a Saturday, came home the Sunday for Kilmihil’s county final and left for London Wednesday to be ready for my first outing with Wasps that Saturday. It was a busy week,” Edel joked.

“I was weighing up my options before I left and with my situation at home, work-wise and how long it was taking me to get to Galwegians for training or to Dublin or Limerick or that, it was catching up with me. The miles and hours in the car were adding up.

“My goal after last year’s Six Nations was to not only become a better rugby player but to put myself in a position where I was a regular in the Irish side and maybe go to a World Cup. When I added everything up, it made sense for me to come to the Premiership,” McMahon said.

Edel has sacrificed working full-time so that she can train five days a week with the London Wasps, and doing so purely for the love of the game.

“The Premiership is another level. I played five inter-pros at home and they are similar to the level in England. You’re training five days a week and playing a match too. You could also be training two or three times a day, too.

“There’s one contracted girl and then a few more that put themselves in a position to train full-time, like myself. I honestly don’t think many people know that we’re not paid. When I was home at Christmas, a lot of people were asking how I was getting on in England and what was it like to be a professional rugby player. But we’re not paid. I’m lucky to have all the medical access I need as well as physio and gym and things but I’m working part-time to pay the bills,” McMahon pointed out.

It was a conscious decision to put her love of playing rugby and will to improve before a full-time job and Edel says she couldn’t do it without her “extremely sound boss” at the medical devices company for whom she works.

While Ireland will be buoyed by the hard-earned win over Scotland last weekend, Edel knows there is still plenty of hard work to be done by Ireland this year.

“Getting the win at the weekend was huge for our confidence. We had been working hard over the November Series and during Christmas. It was really nice to see that in our performance. For the first 25 minutes of the Scotland game, we showed what we had been doing in training.

“We didn’t play for enough of the time though. Our penalty count wasn’t anything to brag about, either. It was nice to win ugly and have things to work on for Wales rather than lose and be disappointed,” McMahon confessed.

While Ireland endured a tough 2019, Edel believes the squad are on an upward curve, not least due to the improvements in their defence, with a new defensive coach in place.

“We soaked up a lot of Scottish pressure and eventually Bebhinn Parsons was able to turn a 5m defensive stand into a 95m breakaway try. That was a testament to our defensive system and the pressure we absorbed.

“We have a really good setup now. We have improved since I first came in and we have really gelled together in the last few months and it is starting to show, I think. Everyone is more optimistic and feeling good about this year,” McMahon finished.

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